Bengaluru: The exit of senior leader, V Srinivasprasad appears to be costing the Congress as while Chief Minister is looking to consolidate the Dalit votebank in the run up to the 2018 assembly poll, they appear in no mood to oblige.
Most are reportedly unhappy with Public Works Minister Dr H C Mahadevappa who has been put in charge of handling them in Mysuru and Chamarajanagar districts. One Dalit leader complained that the minister was giving importance to his followers and not those who had helped build the party in the district. “The CM too is indifferent to us and is not listening to our suggestions on correcting the problems in the district unit. We were used during the by-elections in Nanjangud and Gundlupet and dumped afterwards,” he rued, adding that while Mr Srinivasprasad had fought for their rights on many occasions, Dr Mahadevappa did not care to. Some complain that things have changed in the district unit after Dr Mahadevappa replaced Mr Srinivasprasad as district-in-charge a few months ago as he reportedly takes unilateral decisions.
Others appear unhappy that only a handful of district leaders handpicked by Mr Siddaramaiah were invited to the interaction with AICC General Secretary K C Venugopal. It is said that Mr Siddaramaiah struck down the name of former MP, A H Vishwanath from the list of leaders who were supposed to meet the Karnataka observer and the meeting ended in just ten minutes with the CM claiming that everything was all right in his home district.
Some leaders believe the high command needs to intervene and set right things before the internal squabbles harm the party's prospects in the district in the 2018 Assembly polls.
